India defends Russian energy purchases, says Europe buys far more

India defended its purchases of Russian oil and gas Monday amid a US push for nations around the world to curb acquisitions, saying Europe's consumption far surpasses India's. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, external affairs minister, lashed out at criticism over India's purchases of Russian energy, saying they are necessary to secure the nation's energy security. "If you're looking at energy purchases from Russia, I would suggest that your attention should be focused on Europe," he said during a meeting of the Indian and American top diplomats and defense secretaries in Washington. "Looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon."

Concluded a productive and substantive 2+2 Ministerial Meeting.

Discussed contemporary challenges and issues in an open and constructive manner. Resolved that our strategic partnership would continue to grow and play a greater role in shaping the direction of world affairs. pic.twitter.com/dO9GwvzAI6

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 12, 2022

Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged Washington's concerns on Russian energy sales, saying the Biden administration is "looking to allies and partners not to increase their purchases of Russian energy." "We're encouraging countries not to purchase additional energy supplies from Russia," he said, while acknowledging that "every country is differently situated, has different needs, requirements." The 2+2 ministerial meeting comes on the heels of a virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Blinken maintained that no decision has yet been reached on granting India a potential sanctions waiver, but said "we continue to urge all countries to avoid major new transactions for Russian weapons systems, particularly in light of what Russia is doing to Ukraine." At the 2+2 dialogue, Blinken also acknowledged India’s help to Ukraine amid the conflict.